


The Perfection of Patience

by Daegaer



Series: Pretend to be Human [8]
Category: Saiyuki
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Androids, Friendship, Gen, Loss, Partial Mind Control, Permanent Injury, Promises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-07 10:10:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16406432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daegaer/pseuds/Daegaer
Summary: Hakkai and Gojyo unexpectedly come across another android in an out of the way town.





	The Perfection of Patience

" _We. Shouldn't. Have. Left. Sanzo. And. Goku. Alone_ ," Gojyo said again, feeling that his vocal output might be caught in an inadvertent loop.

" _We were given a direct order to stock up on supplies_ ," Hakkai said cheerfully, as if being called a fool and yelled at to get out of the room and do something useful for once was an order to do _anything_.

" _That's. Creative_ ," Gojyo said sourly.

" _Ahaha, well, one can't help one's programming._ "

It was the sort of pious-little-android phrase that would have been so much more believable if he'd heard it back when he'd first known Hakkai. Gojyo leaned on his weapon and looked glumly out at the meager marketplace. It was supposed to be a market-day and yet there were few stalls set out, and most of those were left unattended, as if the sellers had already given up in despair. There was nothing here for anyone to cause trouble with, he decided. Let Hakkai make his jokes, only the goats would hear. Speaking of goats -

" _Let's. Get. Goat. Milk,_ " he said. " _And. Put. It. In. Sanzo's. Tea._ "

" _As an exotic western treat,_ " Hakkai said in smiling admiration. " _You're such a kind-hearted person, Gojyo._ "

" _Anything. For. My. Master,_ " Gojyo said, trying the effect of one of Hakkai's little sly smiles. He wasn't sure he got it right, but Hakkai seemed pleased enough. _It's just regular android meanness_ , he thought, suffused with guilty pleasure at the image of Sanzo spluttering in horror over his tea. _Nothing really bad_.

"And what about for yourselves?" a woman's voice said behind them. "Perhaps an oil-change?"

It was a good attempt, Gojyo thought, turning quickly, but he could detect the artificial tones under the carefully modulated words.

" _Stop. Putting. On. Airs,_ " he said. " _You. Think. We. Can't. Tell?_ "

" _Gojyo, manners,_ " Hakkai murmured.

She was as tall as he was himself, Gojyo saw, and well-built, though her face was more expressive. She was leaning on a tall staff, and was dressed in a well-worn madder-dyed robe, folded back to leave one shoulder bare, and her hair was cropped short. Gojyo exchanged looks with Hakkai.

" _You're. The. Encyclopaedia,_ " he said. " _Can. Androids. Get. Ordained?_ "

" _It's not something I believe has come up very frequently,_ " Hakkai said, sounding amused.

She shifted her weight in a way that made Gojyo think that maybe the staff was a walking stick rather than a weapon, and looked disgusted with them both.

" _Of course I'm not a nun,_ " she said, sounding more like an android. " _But out here they'd disassemble me for spare parts if they thought I was ownerless, and there are only so many roles a woman on her own can play. Being a holy woman at least gets trouble-making men steering clear most of the time._ "

" _And if they don't steer clear?_ " Hakkai said. " _Aren't they a little surprised to have waylaid someone other than she appears?_ "

" _In such cases,_ " she said, " _I follow the last order of my mistress, which was to protect myself. Her orders are still valid, it's not like I've gone rogue. Anyway, who'd miss scum who'd try to rape a nun?_ "

" _You're. A. Security. Android,_ " Gojyo said, taking in her height and build again.

" _I can see you must be some sort of intellectual model._ "

" _Let's not squabble,_ " Hakkai said, as Gojyo glowered. " _Perhaps we could speak somewhere more private?_ "

" _My hut is that way,_ " she said signaling with her eyes. " _Do your shopping and meet me there, if you wish. Now give me some charity and I'll move on._ "

Hakkai dropped a handful of rice into her bowl and they watched her walk slowly away, one foot dragging in the dust.  
  
" _I'm. Not. Stupid,_ " Gojyo said.

" _No,_ " Hakkai said, clearly distracted. He turned from looking at the other android. " _No, you're not. Don't be jealous that she's a different model, Gojyo._ "

" _She's. Pretending. To. Be. A. Nun!_ " Gojyo said quietly, as if the goats would pass on the secret. " _How. Can. She Do. That? And. She. Near. As. Said. She. Kills. Perverts!_ "

" _You heard – she's permitted to because she's following her mistress's final order. Unless she's telling a lie, of course,_ " Hakkai said, like he was remarking on the weather. " _Do you want to follow her when we've finished here and find out what she's doing in a hamlet like this?_ "

" _No?_ " Gojyo said.

" _Oh, Gojyo! Another relatively high-model android all the way out here by itself and you want to just walk away? Where's your curiosity?_ "

" _Programmed. Into. Some. Other. Guy,_ " Gojyo muttered. He marched over to the nearest stall that had someone actually attending it and bought some of the worst looking goat's butter he could, just to try and bring back his earlier pleasure at the thought of annoying Sanzo.

 

* * *

 

It was a long way out of the little town before they saw the hut with prayer flags set up around it. An elderly nanny-goat stared at them suspiciously and skipped to one side of the door. Gojyo imagined how long it must take to walk with a damaged leg – he replayed the way the other android had walked – a damaged ankle joint, probably. At his top speed it would still take him over fifteen minutes to run back –

" _Sanzo will be fine_ ," Hakkai said. " _You heard him, he wants to eat in peace and be left alone._ "

" _He. Always. Says. That. It. Doesn't. Mean. We. Should. Actually. Leave._ "

" _We should always obey our master's commands. Hello! Reverend Mother!_ "

The door covering drew back and she looked out, scowling.

" _You're hilarious. I thought you wouldn't come; look, it's almost evening. Come in, stop hanging around uselessly._ "

" _She has the monastic attitude down perfectly, don't you think?_ " Hakkai said, smiling as Gojyo gave his quick, harsh laugh.

Inside, the hut was sparsely furnished with barely enough to convey the illusion of the owner being a human. A narrow, hard bed and a tiny table with a solitary chair were the only furnishings. A series of shelves at the back had been fashioned into a shrine, with an image draped with prayer scarves on a high shelf, with an ornately carved long box laid out before it. Small dishes of rice and butter stood beside the box. It was distasteful, Gojyo thought, to carry out the deception so far.

" _What are you doing out here?_ " Hakkai asked.

" _You first. I saw you with a monk. It's natural for me to ask after a fellow monastic._ " She laughed soundlessly, and indicated the chair and bed. " _Please, sit down. I'm sorry I can't offer you something better._ "

" _Our master is travelling west,_ " Hakkai said. "Shouldn't you sit? Your leg – I don't mean to make a personal remark – "

" _I'm used to it,_ " she said. " _West. Why? It's a shithole. The radiation gets worse, the monsters get worse. Get him to go back east, it's safer._ "

" _He's the boss,_ " Hakkai said dryly.

" _Why. Do. You. Have. A. Goat?_ " Gojyo said suddenly. He perched awkwardly on the edge of the bed. It felt weird to sit in a nun's presence, even if she was faking and was only another android.

" _Everyone out here has goats. It makes me look normal. She doesn't give as much milk as she used to – less for me to throw away._ "

" _Or to make into butter for offerings?_ " Hakkai said, looking back at the shrine.

" _That's not your business,_ " she said. " _Seriously, it's shit the further west you go – get your master to turn back. Can you get him to take me with you? I can still fight, I'd be useful, I wouldn't be any trouble to you two -_ "

" _He. Won't. Turn. Back,_ " Gojyo said.

" _And I'm afraid he's rather vocal about how annoying he finds androids even in good repair,_ " Hakkai said gently. " _Why do you want to go east?_ "

" _Would you want to stay here? I told you, I haven't gone rogue – I still have owners. I just need to get back to them._ "

" _How commendably loyal,_ " Hakkai said, as if he were commenting on a pile of goat shit he'd stepped in. " _I'm sure they would be delighted by your sentiments._ "

" _Not all of us got the_ sarcastic fucking smartass _upgrade_ ," she snapped. " _I need to let them know what happened to my mistress. You understand, don't you?_ " she said to Gojyo.

" _Yeah,_ " he said. " _I. Understand. Though. To. Be. Honest. I. Think. You. Got. The. Sarcasm. Pretty. Good._ "

She laughed her soundless laugh. " _I like you. Gojyo, right? I heard your monk yelling at you. I'm Tashi._ "

" _What happened to your mistress, Tashi?_ " Hakkai said.

Gojyo was sure he was thinking the same as him. It sounded like a local name, not something a fairly high-end model from back east would be called.

" _She was travelling east,_ " Tashi said. " _Things were fine until we got about seventy kilometres from here and then we got attacked. I managed to fight them off and get us near enough to the town. They caught up with us. I was outnumbered and couldn't protect her._ " She looked down. " _I really thought we'd outrun them. I got them all, but they'd damaged me by them and they killed her. Her last order was to protect myself. Protect myself?_ " she said angrily. " _I just wanted to lie down beside her and switch myself off. Still, orders are orders, right?_ "

" _I'm. Sorry,_ " Gojyo said. It seemed inadequate.

" _You must have had a vehicle,_ " Hakkai said. " _You couldn't have run for seventy kilometres without one._ "

" _Of course we had one,_ " Tashi said. " _When I dragged myself back to it the next morning the locals had already torn it to shreds. So here I am, stranded. Are you sure your master won't turn back and take me along?_ "

Hakkai shook his head. " _I'm really sorry. Perhaps a trade caravan will come through, or you could get to a bigger town – we came through one just over a hundred kilometres back. It had regular transports east._ "

" _Yeah,_ " Tashi said. " _Hey, would you mind bringing the goat in? A leopard's been seen in the hills and I don't want her eaten._ "

" _Of course,_ " Hakkai said, and got up at once.

" _She'll make him chase her. They'll be out there for ages,_ " Tashi said with a little smile as the door covering swung closed. " _What model number are you?_ "

" _What?_ " Gojyo said. " _Er. SHA-450. It's. Pretty. Standard._ "

" _Standard,_ " she said. " _That's good._ "

" _Sure. If. You. Like. Being. One. In. A. Million,_ " Gojyo joked.

" _D'you have standard failsafes?_ " she asked, going on before he could answer, " _I like you, you're loyal, not sarcastic like your friend, but I'm still carrying out her orders – you understand, don't you? Please, don't you?_ " then she straightened up and in a totally human, aristocratic voice said, "Security android designation SHA-450, deactivate."

" _Fuck,_ " Gojyo said, feeling his systems slow. " _Stop._ "

" _Sorry,_ " she said, shoving him down on the bed. " _We're not the same brand, but it should be close enough._ " She pushed up his right trouser-leg, above the knee, then pulled a set of tools out from under the bed. "It'll have to be the whole lower limb," she said. " _You'll still be able to protect your master with mine, there are two of you._ "

" _Hakkai!_ " Gojyo yelled, but it came out in a whisper. " _Tashi. Your. Mistress. Wouldn't. Want –_ "

" _Shut up! I failed her!_ Security android designation SHA-450, deactivate full-"

There was a blur of motion that his fading sight couldn't process, and then Tashi was gone, and Hakkai was holding him, whispering numbers into his ear. Everything brightened again and he could hear. _Shit_ , he thought. _Shit_. What had happened? How had Hakkai –

" _Hakkai –_ " he said.

" _A moment,_ " Hakkai said and stalked across the hut. " _You'd better have a reason for me not to lose my temper more than I already have,_ " he said in a quiet, polite voice. " _Or I will tear what's left of your foot right off the leg._ "

He grabbed up Tashi's leg and twisted it. The foot covering came loose, revealing a tangled mass of dull metal, no synthetic skin or flesh left at all. Gojyo winced; it looked awkward and inefficient to walk on. It looked, he thought, like it _hurt_.

" _Just kill me,_ " Tashi said.

" _Why should you get off any easier?_ " Hakkai said. " _What makes you think you can try to use my friend for spare parts?_ "

She was still dangerous, Gojyo thought, she could still fight them – but Tashi just lay there, looking like she wished she could weep.

" _I promised I could get her home,_ " she said at last. " _I have to try._ "

" _Your mistress is dead,_ " Hakkai said implacably. " _It's a little late to keep your promise._ " He let go of her foot and she wrapped it up again, covering the mangled and torn metal as if she were ashamed.

" _I'm so sorry,_ " she said, but her words were directed to the shrine.

Gojyo paid it closer attention, seeing now that the picture wasn't an image of a god as he'd first thought, but was a photo of a human girl in extravagant finery. She seemed a few years older than Goku, he thought, if he was judging human ages right.

" _That was her wedding day,_ " Tashi said. " _It's why she looks so sad. She was sent out west to marry someone she'd never even heard of, and he was cruel to her. I promised I'd get her home, but her husband's men caught us._ " She seemed to be seeing something very far away. " _I need to take her home._ "

Gojyo frowned and stood up. Everything was stable, good. He stepped over to the shrine and looked at the photo and the box with its offerings, then carefully, gently lifted the box down and placed it on the table. He opened it and beckoned to Hakkai. Inside, nestled on heavy embroidered silk, were human bones.

 _She's an enemy_ , he thought, looking at Tashi, sitting in the corner looking lost in the past. _She just tried to disassemble me_. He looked back at the bones: clean, polished and cared for and, he thought, loved.

" _Your. Mistress. Wanted. You. Safe,_ " he said as gently as he could. " _Not. Holding. On. To. A. Failed. Mission - She. Was. More. Than. These._ "

It seemed to bring Tashi back to herself. She looked at him and at the box, and levered herself up ungracefully. She very gently closed the box and put it back in its place, murmuring a prayer as she did so.

" _She was more_ ," she said. " _She also taught me how to turn off other androids. I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have done it – any of it. At least I got to hear her voice again._ " She sank down into an awkward kneeling position. " _I'm sorry to have troubled you,_ " she said. " _I must pray now._ "

" _Tashi, how long have you been here?_ " Hakkai said.

She didn't look up at him. " _I don't know. For your master's sake, turn back. There's nothing good ahead. I'll pray for you, too._ "

" _Thank you, reverend mother,_ " Hakkai said, with no trace of mockery in his voice at all.

 

* * *

 

" _We. Have. To. Tell. Sanzo_ ," Gojyo said, feeling that he was again in some kind of vocal output loop.

" _I quite agree,_ " Hakkai said, which threw Gojyo so much that he didn't know how to respond. " _He'll call us fools for putting ourselves in danger and will attempt rudimentary reprogramming through violence but, ahaha, we will be cheered by the return to normality!_ "

Gojyo just looked at him, unsure if this was some fancy way of saying _No, idiot, we're keeping quiet_ , then gave up. He pulled out the shopping list from earlier and scribbled _How did you wake me up?????_ After a moment's thought he took it back and added _?!_

" _I love reading,_ " Hakkai said cheerfully. " _I love poetry and all the classics and many modern works. And you know, just before I was bought by the monastery I was unfortunately without any reading material at all. Almost. I found a stack of technical manuals – all written in the most staccato and unliterary style, let me tell you. But needs must! Who knew any of them would turn out to be useful?_ "

Gojyo stopped dead.

" _You. Read. My. Operational. Manual?_ " he said, appalled. It felt like Hakkai could peer into his brain and watch his thoughts light up the positronic neural pathways. It felt intrusive.

" _Not for you personally. The general one; and we didn't even know each other at that point, so you mustn't think I was invading your privacy. And I would only ever use the information in an emergency._ "

 _He's always known a reactivation code for me_ , Gojyo thought, _and he must know other stuff. But he's never used it. He's my friend. He is._

" _OK,_ " Gojyo said, willing himself not to shudder.

" _I told you, you don't have anything to worry about with me,_ " Hakkai said. He looked back along their path. " _We're all working out our karma, Gojyo. The two of us, we just have to keep going west and protect Sanzo. Tashi, she just has to stay here and pray. I think we have the easier task._ "

" _Her. Mistress. Is. Quieter._ "

Hakkai laughed.

" _I'm glad you're feeling well enough to joke. We'll tell Sanzo. He can hit me, I don't mind._ "

Gojyo smiled as they walked back to the hostelry. It would be nice if Sanzo didn't hit either of them, he thought, distracting himself with thoughts of his _beloved_ master. He tried to imagine having a master he was so devoted to he would still try to carry out his orders many years after that master's death. It wasn't anything he could picture at all.

Tashi, he thought, didn't know how lucky she was.


End file.
